What would really happen if Chelsea lost their 2017 Premier League title after Mauricio Pochettino’s request?
Mauricio Pochettino recently said that Chelsea should lose their 2016-17 Premier League title, and interestingly, there is some history of titles being given out late, like for Tottenham Hotspur.
Pochettino, who used to coach both Chelsea and Spurs before joining the USMNT, pointed out that Chelsea won that season with 93 points under Antonio Conte, while his Spurs finished second with 86 points. If Chelsea were to lose the title, there’s some example from the past where a runner-up team got the trophy, but it’s far from guaranteed.
Pochettino said Tottenham “didn’t compete with the same rules” as Chelsea because Chelsea admitted to making £47 million in hidden payments between 2011 and 2018. Still, it’s unlikely Spurs would get the Premier League trophy because the case against Chelsea isn’t strong.
At the time, Chelsea didn’t get a sporting punishment but were fined and faced transfer bans instead. In July, they were fined £10 million and given a suspended two-window transfer ban for breaking agent payment rules from 2009 to 2022. The Premier League checked Chelsea’s accounts and decided the hidden payments didn’t cause any serious financial rule breaks.
Even though this decision could be looked at again, it probably won’t be because Chelsea’s punishments have already been dealt with. And even if Chelsea lost their title, it doesn’t mean Tottenham would automatically get it. There are examples from Italy’s Serie A where Juventus lost titles because of cheating, but sometimes the trophies were left empty and other times given to the runners-up. So, it’s a bit of a toss-up.
Pochettino thinks Tottenham deserves the title if Chelsea loses it. He said, “We should win one title, one Premier League. We should have been awarded it. Chelsea broke the rules, so the title should go to the second-best team. I’m just speaking the truth. Chelsea fans might not like it, but if Spurs broke the rules, I’d admit it too.”
Only time will tell if Pochettino’s wish comes true. Even if Chelsea’s case is reconsidered, it’s far from certain that Spurs will be handed the 2016-17 Premier League title.